Such axial bearings arrangements are known from US 2011/0038716 A1. With this known axial bearing arrangement, the segments are each arranged on both sides, that is on the front and the back of an axial bearing disc, which is axially arranged between two sliding surfaces that are moveable relative to each other, in an annular channel, which during the operation of the axial bearing arrangement is filled with hydraulic lubricant, which because of hydrodynamic effects between the wedge surfaces of the segments and the facing sliding surface of the shaft or of the housing is squashed and then forms a supporting trapped film between the engagement surface following the wedge surface and the sliding surface. This trapped film prevents a direct contact between regions of the axial bearing disc and the adjacent sliding surface of the shaft or of the housing. According to US 2011/0038716 A1, the segments are arranged on the front of the axial bearing disc offset in circumferential direction relative to the segments on the back of the axial bearing disc. This serves to reduce the wear of the tools during the production of the axial bearing disc.
In the case of axial bearings of turbochargers, it has to be taken into account that both the turbine wheel as well as the compressor wheel during charger operation can be excited into wobbling movements because of unavoidable imbalances and/or aerodynamic effects. These wobbling movements are transmitted to the shaft with the consequence that the shaft-sided sliding surfaces can wobble relative to the axial bearing disc. Thus, the gap dimensions between the shaft-side sliding surface and the segments changes. This can result in that the supporting force of the trapped film formed by the hydraulic lubricant undesirably drops between a segment and the adjacent shaft-sided sliding surface and can have a direct contact of the sliding surface with the segment as a consequence.